After observing not only my father's casual wardrobe, but the casual wardrobes of men 50 and over in general, I am convinced that they stop shopping for Friday thru Sunday attire at age 45. Men around that age usually have an incredible array of suits, ties, braces, cufflinks, shoes and even hats regardless of their profession. Whether its church or work, men that age have a monopoly on formal attire..in fact they may even have a few tuxedos hanging in their closet.
But when it comes to the casual clothes, older men drop the ball like Braylon Edwards in the rain. It amazes me how many items in my father's wardrobe, that aren't even sold in stores anymore. Shirts with faded logos, short shorts what would make Lil Kim blush, and sneakers that were hot in the 90s. I guess the most frustrating part about it all is that he doesn't care. This past weekend he greeted my lady, my brother and the family with a confident swagger, and he was completely oblivious to his dated attire. And again, this isn't just a problem with my dad, I see this on the streets of DC all the time. Even Obama is moving in that directions with a crease in his young ass jeans.
Now, there is one school of thought that says men that age have earned the right to dress however the hell they want, and I may very well fall under that category in my old(er) age. But if I have a young, semi-hip son like my father has, I would have no problems listening to my child's advice on how to be cooler, better, stronger, and faster in the fashion department. I have tried to pepper in some updated attire for my dad, and he smiles and beams with joy upon initially seeing them. And then they disappear into the abyss of dated clothing, never to be seen again. He doesn't even humor me by wearing them when I'm around, they just fade into Bolivian Perhaps I should give up this mission and ask his woman to take over.
By the way, the 2009-2010 Washington Wizards schedule came out yesterday. Check it out. We are winning it all this year in case you didn't know.
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
2 comments:
Funny as hell...
i kind of agree. i think a solution to this decades old problem is this:
when getting older, do NOT get excessively casual - even when you are casual. Does that makes sense?
Like my dad for instance, he has a dazzling array of suits, cufflinks, ties, shirts, nice shoes... he can dress up, but he struggles with dressing down. he never looks to' up from the flo' up - thank heavens, but he could use some sartorial savvy in his morning coffee. My maternal grandfather, on the other hand, is sooo fly its ridiculous. And not that trying hard stuff either. Its effortless. He's a product of a time period where dressing down still had flair. He has a formula and i think it can work now:
Stick with a nice pair of slacks(denim can work but the fit has to be right), a polo shirt(popped collar optional)and comfortable shoes (not sneakers unless you are doing something sporty) oh but if you must buy sneakers then make sure you don't buy the ones that come from the medical supply catalog. you know - one color fits all (putty) with the dual velcro straps. UGLEE.
or you can take the look up a notch - wear a button down shirt (no short sleeve dress shirts!) with the slacks and roll up the sleeves to signify that you are dressed down. In the cooler months never underestimate a sweater (vneck/crew/cardigan)These are all attractive looks that work well on any age group, and can save one from the perils of looking hopelessly outmoded and corny when it comes to casual dress. Leave the dayglo and whatever the trendy look is for the kids. There's nothing worse than seeing a 50 something wearing "capri" shorts, oversized white tee and some way too colorful nike dunks. Or worse - a full mcm track suit from 84. FAIL. And then trying to holler at me?
Grown men should look like grown men. Oh, and if all else fails, ask a woman. Lord knows if you listened to us in the first place yall wouldn't have these problems. :)
(and once again i've blogged within your blog. this is a subject near and dear to my heart tho!)
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